Ramblings and doodlings of an unsettled mind!

Apostolic Nuncio to Malaysia HE Archbishop Joseph Salvador Marino recent statement the interview to pro-Opposition portal The Malaysian Insider on supporting Christian Federation of Malaysia’s intention to use kalimah ‘Allah’ in place of God has been deemed totally insensitive and outrageous. Malay NGOs demanded he retracted the statement or risk being asked to leave.

The “Thirteen Million Plus Ringgit” question is, was the statement intentional as his presence and role in this country is as a diplomat first?

Non-Muslims can’t use ‘Allah’

SHAH ALAM: The Sultan of Selangor has decreed that non-Muslims in the state have been barred from using “Allah”, saying it is a sacred word exclusive to Muslims.

A statement yesterday from Selangor Islamic Affairs Council (Mais) secretary Datuk Mohd Misri Idris said Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah had expressed shock and regret over DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng’s recent statement urging the Government to allow the word “Allah” to be used in the Malay version of the Bible.

Lim, who is the Penang Chief Minister, had stated this in his New Year message.

The Ruler had called for an emergency meeting with officials of Mais, the Selangor Islamic Affairs Department (Jais) and the Selangor mufti on Sunday.

“The Sultan made a decision and decreed that the word Allah’ is a sacred word specific to Muslims and it is prohibited to be used by any non-Muslim in Selangor, as stated in a fatwa and gazetted on Feb 18, 2010,” Mohd Misri said.

“Tuanku is disappointed that the decree had been taken lightly by some parties until the issue was brought up again,” he said, adding that the Sultan also stated that Mais and Jais could take stern action against anyone who questions the fatwa that was issued according to state laws.

The Ruler’s decree came ahead of a Pakatan Rakyat meeting at which the word “Allah” had been allowed to be used by even non-Muslims.

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However, if it was intentional then it should be deemed political.

It should not come as a surprise because Marino was born an American. As someone who hails from Alabama, it is a typical ‘Red-Neck’ and Southerner country. Moreover, He Archbishop Marino is not new in the international politics and diplomacy game. In fact, he is a seasoned diplomat and player in the international politics game.

He was a member of the Vatican delegation sent by Pope John Paul II to Belgrade on April 1, 1999, at the height of the Kosovo conflict. He was also part of a delegation sent to the White House before the 2003 start of the war in Iraq. HE Archbishop Marino also served as Apostolic Nuncio to Bangladesh for four years, where domestic politics such as the Chittagong Hill Tracts conflictwas part of his interest and agenda.

Of course the usual excuse he is playing ‘the cleric in the mission of peace’ role. There is also a possibility he could also be part of an international political ring of operatives, acting on behalf for Neo Con Jews and the sinister agenda to rule and control the world, directly and indirectly via proxies.

HE Archbishop Marino could probably be part of the international political support group in their strategic agenda to undermine and eventually dismantle the Muslim powerin favour of the minority. Especially the Malay-Muslims are the most progressive and globally most influential group of Muslims. It is imperative that the Malay-Muslims are being made subservient to the Anglo-New Con Jewish international agenda in someway or another.

If that was true, then it makes perfect sense why he is supporting the CFM quest, which is strongly supported by Chinese Chauvinists DAPsters and anti Malay politicians such as Lim Guan Eng, Teresa Kok and Nga Kor Ming.

After all, the main objective to use kalimah ‘Allah’ in place for God is to allow Malays bibles. Undoubtedly, that is all about protelysation of the Malays into Christianity.

Without doubt too, there is an international ring of support groups and all the NGO masquarades which suspiciously include international church organisations present and actively supporting the ‘Politics of Hatred’ strategy by some deviant minority in this country. This is not withstanding their role be it indirectly, which came as part of warning in the form of HRH Rulers’s own titah against freedom of interpreting Christianity towards Malay-Muslims.

If it is true that HE Archbishop Marino has a political agenda, then he is playing no different game than what former US Ambassador John R. Malott once did. At least, Malott did not insult any of HRH Rulers’ decree nor the sentiments on the position of Islam as the religion of the Federation of Malaysia.

Front Page Utusan Malaysia today

*Updated 1200hrs

*Updated 0100hrs 15 July 2013

Foreign Minister Dato’ Seri Anifah Aman said that Malaysia is displeased with Apostolic Nuncio Archbishop Joseph Salvador Marino’s statement on the ‘Kalimah Allah’ issue, which the former describe as “Foreign interference into internal affairs”.

I don’t think Najib will “Shut the (Vatican) office for good”. One reason for him “seeking audience with the Pope in Rome” was to get the votes of the Christian Chinese, especially the Evangelical ones that have proliferated in this country, embracing many DAP members and supporters. The Chinese, instead, gave him a tsunami.

But even after PRU13, he still wants to placate the Chinese, repeated his intention to repeal the Sedition Act that DAP etc wants abolished. He thinks he is liberal, though many call him pseudo-liberal or liberal olok olok.

He has not announced measures to placate the Malays and the Bumiputeras of Sabah and Sarawak who gave him nearly all of the 133 seats. The double whammy “ungrateful ingrate” is now facing another direction.

To get him to take serious action on the Nuncio, we must keep on shouting, supporting the NGOs in whatever action they take that don’t break the law.

And continue to urge the Perwakilan to PAU to replace him in November.

Look at the intransigence of those concerned. Marino has not said a thing all these days, neither has Malaysian Insider. Far from retracting his statement and openly apologising, the chap just makes dunno.

He must have read the outcry against him in the media and reported to Rome. One fears it is a Papal policy to support all Christians the world over, irrespective of the local situation, never mind the local feelings and the fact that Islam is stated in the Constitution of a multi-racial and multi-religious community as the religion of the country.

They cannot be so stupid as not to recognize that the Sultan is head of religion in the states concerned and HRH Sultan Selangor has issued a decree that Non Muslims are barred from using the word ‘Allah’ as it is a sacred word exclusively for the Muslims. The accusation that what he said was designed to cause a furore to help the Opposition win Kuala Besut has some credibility and the Nuncio thus interferes in the internal affairs of the country in more ways than one.

Get the Nuncio out of the country and get Najib out of the UMNO Presidency.

The Wall Street Journal says their reporter was also there when Joseph Marino spoke at an interview with a small group of press people in his embassy’s living room (and a talk afterwards with The Wall Street Journal), making the offensive and seditious remarks.

The WSJ report says two local online news outlets invited to the talk characterized his comments as supporting the use of “Allah.”

That drew a strong response from NGOs Perkasa and Jati. It says that Christians make up about 9 percent of the population.

The report also points out that Marino arrived in Malaysia in mid-April. So, he has ample time to find out about the sensitivities of the people in this country. No excuse for him to say anything that shows disrespect for the Selangor Sultan’s decree.

And the man is no stranger to living in a Muslim majority country. Prior to his posting here, he was the Vatican envoy to Bangladesh for five years.

Whatever he talked about inter-faith dialogue was negated by his insensitive remarks.

“He qualified that although the on-going court case was an internal matter for Malaysia, he was in support of the Christian Federation’s arguments for the term, saying they were “quite logical and acceptable”.

That means he was aware of the sensitivity of the situation – even from the legal point of view, yet uttered the objectionable words. Was he looking for controversy and trouble?

The star also pointed out that In 2009, a church was torched and several others vandalised in a nationwide attack on places of worship shortly after the High Court ruled that the Catholic Church had the right to publish the word “Allah” to describe the Christian God. His indiscretion – especially if it was an ill intention – could spark another round of those.

Right after 13GE, PM Najib Razak appointed the Baling MP as Tabung Haji Chairman.

I think Azeez Rempit’s ‘assignment’ is to ‘facilitate for more deserving Malays’ to go for annual pilgrimage.

All & well.

Maybe now with pro-Vatican policy, PM Najib could ask Idris Jala to get PEMANDU whip up a lab quickly. The purpose is to establish a savings scheme for Malaysian Christians to go for pilgrimage at Jerusalem, Bethlehem & Nazareth.

Omar Ong & Ethos could get McKinsey to help.

Bernard Dompok could be this Tabung Calvary Chairman. Idris will be the Exec Dep Chairman. The CEO should be non other than Bishop Paul Tan.

This is typical of the ‘ white men’s burden’ behaviour and mentality. They think they can enter the territory of another and ram through their religious belief and ideology and speak without thinking and without discretion and behave like colonial masters. Who cares if he had served in Bangladesh. All the more he should be more circumspect of the repercussions of being insensitive.

Has the local media reported on the position taken by the NGOs concerning the statement made by the envoy? Has any politicians from UMNO or PAS made any comments on the total lack of sensitivity of the envoy?

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